Steam-heating system.



Patented Nov.. 27, 1912.

STEAM HEATING SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18|` 1915.

ULAUDEHC. NUCKOLS, OF MENANDS, NEW" YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CONSOLIDATEDCAIEL HEATING CUMPANY, OF ALBANY, NEW liZtl/K, .la GORPORATN O'WEST lvltGNi..

ElJElVl-IEATNG- SYSTEM.

estaria;

Specification of 'Letters .Eatent.

Patented ov.. i, iitlt?,

- Application filed ringiist 18, i915. Serial No. 46,168.

To all whom may concern: i

Be it known that l CLAUon C. N Ucnoiis, a

citizen of tlieUnited. States, and a resident of Menands, ,Albany county, and State of Ei New' York, have' invented. certain new and useful improvements in Steam Heatingl Systems, vof which the following 4is a descriptiOn.

Mylinvention relates'to steam heating sysheating of any desired apartment, are more particularly applieableto the heating of rai l- Way cars. My invention may ad antageously he applied to systems in which the inflow of steam is controlled', as, for instance, the atmospheric system.

The principal objects of my invention are `to produce a steam heating system which shall be'simple, effective, reqnrethe least 2e amount of attention, and shall operate automatically to maintain an approximately constant temperature Within the apartment to be heated, irrespective of the variation of' external temperature and Weather condi- 25 tions.

lln prior steam heating systems of the at-w mospherie type, it is the practice to connect the radiator in the apartment with a supplypipe (which carries steam at pressure higher than atmospheric) through an inlet valve, which inlet valve is controlled by means of a thermostatic element located outside the apartment to be heated and in the line of the radiator discharge, so that the thermostat is subjected both to the influence of eX- ternal Weather conditions and to that; of the exhausted heating medium, the temperature of theI latter being a function of the temperature condition of the apartment.

While this regulation obtains goed results and is automatic to a degree, itis, nevertheless, not completely automatic, by reason of the fact that with such an arrangement the radiating pipes are maintained filled with l5 steam at atmospheric pressure and, therefore, are maintained at a'v temperature of substantially 212 degrees.

Thus, While it' is apparent that in such a "system fresh. steam is constantly supplied to `V'make up for condensation which occurs through the tendency ofthe apartment to cool` nevertheless. the amount of heat which may be transmitted from the radiator to the -air of the apartment is 'limited by the amount of air which can be moved over the tems which, While they may be `applied to the `a pipe mostatic `element 10, here shown to be in the form of a flat meta-l box containing` an radiator coils, or, in other Words, by the radiator surface. tended to be maintained at 212 degrees be proportioned to properly meet the heat de mand for acertain external temperature, it

is possible, and it frequently occurs in prac4 tice, that'in very cold 'weather sach a radiator is insufficient, by reason of its limited surface, to maintain the temperature of tl e apartment. 0n the other hand, When the Weather is mild, the radiator pipes being full of steam at 212 degrees, the car may be ovei'heated,

My invention aims to ohviate these defects, While preserving'the desirable features Thus, if a radiator in-4 of the prior construction, and, to this end,

have arranged my apparat-us so that the control of the inflow of the heating medium may be taken away from the externally eirposed thermostatic element and given over to an element responsive to the apartment temperature. At the same time, however, i (lo not deprive the apparatus of the valuable inode of operation it has by reason of the externally. exposed thermostat cerrtrollinggz the intake valve, and of the peculiar and ad vantageous compounding edect produced upon such thermostat by reason of the fact that it is also exposed to 'the radiator dis charge.

In' the drawing accompanying 'this vspecification, l have shown a. portion of a railway passenger car. to which my invention is ap plied.

Beneath the ioor l of the car isthe train line 2, Which takes steam from the lecomotive andextends the length of the train. i

branch 3 from the train .line enters an inlet valve-casing 4, containing a valve 5, thus permitting steam to flou' from the train line 2 into a riser 6, communicating with the. ra diator 7. The radiator discharges through 8, into a casing 9, containing a ther pansihle fluid, such as alcohol. T he casing 9 is provided With apertures 11, 'through which the exhaust of the radiator escapes, and through which air may reach the thermostatic element 10. Resting upon thermo static element l0 is a rod 12 which, by means of a bell crank 13, is adapted to actuate valve 5. Thus when' the discharge of the vradiator falling upon `the diaphragm or thermostatic element 10, and the effect of the external atmosphere and windage have reduced the temperature of diaphragm 10 until the fluid contained therein liquees, the valve 5 is opened, thus admitting more steam to radiator 7, which, when it'reaches the exhaust and is discharged upon dia.- phragm .10, expands the diaphragm to close the intake valve 5, thus keeping the pipes of the radiator iilled with atmospheric steam.

Connected to rod 12, inl any suitable manner, is a thermostatic element 14, here shown in the form of a sealedcasing, although any ether suitable form of thermostat may be used, which thermostatic element is located within the car, or other apartment to be heated, and is, therefore subject to temperature variations of the air of the apartment. The form of connection between the thermostat 14 and the valve rod may be that shown in the drawing, comprising a cable 15, connected by means of a spring 16, to rod 12, and by means of a bell crank or similar mechanism 17, to the thermostatic element 14. The spring 1G is preferably adjusted by means of a thread 18. upon rod 12 to a tension sufficient to hold the valve 5 closed against the train line pressure when diaphragm 14 is expanded,

The operation of my improved .apparatus is as follows:

The parts as shown in the drawing are in the position that they would assume were the radiator pipes full of steam and the diaphragm 10 expanded, steam being shut olf. W'hen the radiatorpipes cool and the diaphragm 10 is also cooled, by reason of the outside temperature and windage, the diaphragm 10 will contract, thus admitting more steam through valve 5.

Let us assume that the day is a mild one and that the surface of the radiator 7 is such that if it is kept entirely filled with steam at Substantially 212 degrees the car will be' over-heated. The thermostatic element 14 and its connections being properly adjusted, say to operate at a temperature of degrees, when the car reaches that temperature the thermostatic element 14 will be expanded, thu's drawing upon the cable 15, and through bell crank 13 closing valve 5. Thermostatic` element 14 thus takes control ofthe inlet"va.lve, the thermostatic element 10 being at that time contracted and ineffective to close the valve. The effect of the operation of thermostat 14 will be to allow only suiicient steam to enter the radiator 7 to partially fill the radiator, the remainder of the radiator being filled with air enter-` ing through the open exhaust and a trickle of water of condensation. The eifective radiating surface has thus been diminished to below the normal radiating surface of the radiator, and the radiator may, therefore, be

constructed suiiciently large to take care of I the lowest temperature encountered, with- `out at the same time making the radiator of too large a surface for mild weather. Heretofore attempts have been made to secure a regulation by cutting in and out sections of the radiator as they were needed or not. But such an arrangement prevented an even distribution of the heat throughout the car and was unreliable because of the fact that train men were relied upon to open and close these cut-od valves.

It will be noted that the elastic member or spring 16 permits an` extensive movement of the thermostatic element 14, without damage to any -of the parts. The thermostat 14 may therefore be of a kind adapted to expand between relatively wide limits, and thus exert a strong pull against the inlet valve, without, however, incurring the danger of breakin the parts.

-While I have on y shown one form of my invention it will be understood that many modifications. may be made without departing from its spirit, and l therefore do not intend to beconiined to the precise form shownand described.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1.' An improvement in steam heating systems comprising a radiator, a vaive controlling admission of heating uid thereto, a trap connected-with the outlet branch of the radiator, an operating rod within said trap operatively` connected with said valve, a thermostat within said trap and engaging said rod, a second thermostat within the space to be hea-ted, and a movable member connected at one end'with said rod and having its other end in operative relation with the second thermostat,

2. An improvement insteam heating systems comprising a' radiator, a valve controlling admission of heating fluid thereto, a trap connected with the outlet branch of the radiator, van operating rod Within said trap operatively vconnected with said valve, a. thermostat within said trap and engaging said rod, a second thermostat within the space to be heated. a cable connected at one end with said rod and means operated by the second thermostat for exerting a puit upon said cable.

3. AnA improvement in steam heating systems comprising a radiator, a valve controlling admission of heating fluid thereto, a tra-p connected with the outlet branch of the radiator, an operatingrod within said trap operatively 'connected with said valve, a

thermostat within said trap and engaging said rod, a thermostat within the space to be heated, and a movable member having a resilient connection at one end with said rod and havin its other end in operative. relation witht e second thermostat.

4. An improvement in steam heating systems comprising a radiator, va valve ccntrolff* ist ing admission of hea-ting Huid thereto, a trap connected Withthe outlet branch of the radiator, an operating rod Within said trap operatively connected with said valve, a

f thermostat Within said trap and engaging said rod, a second thermostat Within the space to be heated, a. spring adjustably con- .and having its other end in operative relation With the second thermostat.

In Witness whereof have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of August, 1915.

CLAUDE C. NUCKOLS. 

